Photo Galleries

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Retired General and former CIA Director David Petraeus will teach part-time and mentor ROTC members at the University of Southern California, the school announced Thursday.

Petraeus, who resigned as head of the CIA last year after confessing to an extramarital affair, will begin at the university this fall.

“He embodies all the noble qualities of our founder along with a fearless commitment to excellence. His presence will have a profound impact on our students across many disciplines,” USC President C. L. Max Nikias said in a press release.

Petraeus, 60, earned a PhD in international relations from Princeton University and has taught economics and international relations at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where he received his bachelor’s degree.

“I am very grateful to have an opportunity to be part of a great university that prizes academic excellence, that is doing cutting-edge research in areas of enormous importance to our country, and that is known for steadfast support of its veterans and ROTC programs,” Petraeus said.

He will hold the title of Judge Widney Professor, which was named after USC’s founder and reserved for eminent individuals, school officials said.

“The appointment of General Petraeus as a Judge Widney Professor at USC will add transformative energy to our teaching and research in international relations, government, economics, management, defense studies and military science — fields mastered by this clear-thinking jargon-free polymath,” professor and historian Kevin Starr said.

Starting in the fall, he will teach classes, participate in seminars and panels, take part in working sessions with students and faculty and mentor student veterans and ROTC members, according to USC.

Petraeus is a four-star general and served more than 37 years in the U.S. Army.